Combined ratchet and direct drive hand operated rotary tools



July 30, 1963 c. KOSTKA 3,099,177

COMBINED RATCHET AND DIRECT DRIVE HAND OPERATED ROTARY TOOLS Filed Dec.1, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet l CHARLES KOSTKA IN VEN TOR.

LK/M ATTORNEY.

July 30, 1963 c. KOSTKA COMBINED RATCHET AND DIRECT DRIVE HAND OPERATEDROTARY TOOLS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 1, 1960 I FIGJQ T4 79 CHARliESKOSTKA, INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

United Stes The invention relates to hand rotary tools and moreparticularly to an improved four-way ratchet handle and extensionconstruction for socket wrenches, screw drivers, reamers and the like.

-It is the principal object of the present invention to provide a handrotary tool comprised of only a few and simple parts forming a rugged,reliable, four-way ratchet handle for manually imparting two-way rotarymovement either directly or through intermediate extension pieces tosocket wrenches, screw drivers, reamers and the like.

It is another object of the invention to provide a hand ratchet toolwith an improved coupling means effecting direct drive between thehandle and the drive spindle thereof and any intermediate extensionpieces connected thereto to make the handle and extension piece solidfor non-ratchet use of the hand tool.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a four-way rotarytool which is fool proof in operation and serviceable with standard andconventional socket wrench elements and which will be practical andhighly efficient in use.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a hand rotary tool ofthe socket wrench type with a lever arm grip that can be pulled out ofthe side of the handle when needed to impart increased turning power tothe tool.

Other objects of the invention are to provide in a hand ratchet rotarytool of the socket wrench type, having the above objects in mind, whichis of simple construction, has a minimum number of parts, easy toassemble, inexpensive to manufacture, durable, easy to adjust forratchet operation in opposite directions and between ratchet and directdrive, of pleasing appearance and effective in use.

For still other objects and for a better understanding of the invention,reference may be had to the following detailed description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a four-way ratchet handle of thesocket wrench type with parts broken away and in section to show theinterior thereof, the ratchet selector lever being positioned to turnthe handle in a counterclockwise direction when viewed in FIG. 3,

FIG. 2 is a front end plan view of the ratchet handle shown in FIG. 1and looking upon the squared end of the socket drive spindle,

FIGS. 3 and 4 are enlarged sectional views of the ratchet handle takenrespectively on lines 33 and 44 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of the ratchethandle, with parts in section, and particularly of the direct driveclutch in full engagement with the spindle drive shaft for operation ofthe handle as a solid unitary structure and with the ratchet pinretracted to the neutral position,

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the direct drive clutch part removed from theassembly and as viewed generally on line 6-6 of FIG. 1, the drivespindle being shown in phantom therewithin,

FIG. 7 is a bottom plan view of a modified form of the ratchet wheelremoved from the assembly.

FIG. 8 is a collective side elevational view of a modified four-wayratchet handle coupled to an intermediate extension piece and angle gearcoupling for driving a socket wrench at an angle with respect to thehandle,

' atent ice the handle being modified in form to have a built-in torsiongrip lever shown in full lines as extended at right angles to the handlewith parts broken away to show the interior of the handle,

FIGS. 9 and 10 are collective front and rear elevational views of theratchet handle, extension piece and angle gear coupling as viewedrespectively along lines 99 and iii-10 of FIG. 8, and

FIG. 11 is an end view of the handle extension housing the torsion griplever.

Referring now particularly to FIGS. 1 to 6 of the drawing, 20 representsa four-way ratchet handle for a rotary tool that comprises generally ahandgrip portion 21, a drive spindle 22 and a cup-shaped direct driveclutch part 23, all arranged in coaxial alignment. As is clear from FIG.5 the handgrip portion 21 has an axial bore 24 that extends downwardlyfrom its upper end to a mid-point therein and receives for free rotationa lower portion 25 of the drive spindle 22 of circular section. Thedrive spindle 22 while suitably retained for free rotation is heldagainst axial movement by set screw 26 extending into annular groove 27in the spindle lower portion 25.

i The drive spindle 22 has a male coupling portion 28 of square sectionat its upper end with a spring pressed ball detent 29 therein ofconventional construction and is adapted for engagement with a standardsocket wrench, extension piece, angle drive coupling and the like in awell understood manner.

The cup-shaped clutch part 23 as seen in FIG. 1 is mounted to turn withand axially slide on an intermediate portion 39 of the drive spindle '22between an uppermost position and against a set collar 31 secured by aset screw 32 and a lowermost position engaging the upper end face of thehandgrip portion 21. As best shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, the spindleintermediate portion 30 is of square section and extends through acorrespondingly-shaped axial bore 33 in the upper end of the directdrive clutch part 23. In both the uppermost and lowermost positions, thecup-shaped clutch part 23 is retained by a ball detent 34 resilientlyurged by a spring 35 to extend into either an upper depression 36 or alower depression 37 in the spindle intermediate portion 30. The balldetent 34 and spring 35 are held in a hole 38 drilled radially in theupper end or" the clutch part 23 by a ferrule 39 press fittedthereabout.

The cup-shaped direct drive clutch part 23 encloses a ratchet mechanism\disposed between the handgrip portion 21 and the spindle part 22 andserves as the direct drive clutch. for engaging the handgrip' portion 21directly to the drive spindle '22. The clutching action is effectedthrough a series of pins 4 1 equally spaced in circular fashion andprojected upwardly from the end face of the hand-grip portion inregistry for seating in complementary holes 42 in an interior shoulder43 adjacent the lower end of the cup-shaped direct drive cl-utch part23. The lower open end of the cup-shaped clutch part 23 has a dependingskirt portion 44 into which the upper end of the handgrip portion 21telescopes for complete enclosure of the ratchet mechanism.

The ratchet mechanism comprises a ratchet wheel 45 that is fixd to thespindle lower port-ion 25 by a set screw 46 and is shouldered againstthe lower end of the square intermediate portion 36 of the spindle 22.The ratchet Wheel 45 is located adjacent the upper end face of thehandgrip portion 21 and is sized to fit concentrically within the pins41 projecting upwardly from the end face. The ratchet wheel 45 faces thehandgrizp portion end face and has radially-extending ratchet grooves 47over the sides of which a pawl pin 48 may engage to turn the spindle 22in one direction or ratchet in the opposite direction.

The pawl pin 48 is eccentrically positioned in a bore 49 in hand-gripportion 21 that extends parallel to the axial bore 24. This pawl pin isnormally urged upwardly by a compression spring 1 to project its end camface 52 on the upper end thereof against the ratchet wheel 45. Alaterally-extending finger actuation knob 53 is fixed to a midpoint ofthe pawl pin 48 for turning the pin dace 52 to three selectivepositions. This finger knob 53 operates in a cut-out space 54 in thehandgrip portion 21 that exposes the mid-length of the pawl pin 4-8 andhas in its upper surface three cradles 55, 56 and 57 in which the fingerknob 53 may be selectively positioned. As best seen in FIGS. 4 and 5,cradles 56 and 57 are in axial alignment with each other while cradle 55extends at right angles with respect thereto and is oliset downwardly tohold the pawl pin 48 in its retracted and neutral position to have thedrive spindle 22 free to rotate. With the pawl pin 48 turned to locatethe finger knob 53 in the dotted line position shown in FIG. 5 in cradle56 the pawl pin 48 is set to turn any attached socket to the right andclockwise; with the pawl pin 48 turned to locate the finger knob 53 inthe cradle 57 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, in full line, the pawl pin 48is set to turn the wrench socket to the left and counterclockwise.

In operation, if the cup-shaped clutch part 23 is pulled axially towardhandgrip portion 21, that is, in the direction of the arrow as shown inFIG. v1, and by slightly turning the clutch part with respect to thehandgrip portion, pins 41 will seat in holes 42 and ball detent 34 willengage lower depression 37 of the drive spindle 22. In this position, asbest shown in FIG. 5, the rotary tool 20 will serve as a solid tool forturning socket wrenches or the like coupled to square male couplingextension 28 of the spindle 22 in the well known manner.

To utilize the ratchet mechanism for a ratchet operation, the clutchpart 23 is pushed axially away from handgrip portion 21 that is, in thedirection of the arrow shown in FIG. 5, until clutch part 23 abuts theset collar 31 and the ball detent 34 engages the upper depression 36 inthe spindle part 22. In this position, the pins 41 are disengaged fromthe openings 42 as shown in FIG. 1 and clutch part 23 is free to rotatewith respect to handgrip portion 21 except for any ratchetinginterconnection between the ratchet wheel 45 and the pawl pin 48.

When the finger knob 53 is placed in the neutral cradle 55, as shown infull lines in FIG. 5, end inclined cam surface 52 of pawl pin 48 iscompletely retracted from the ratchet wheel grooves 47 and permits freerotation of the spindle 22 and the cup-shaped clutch part 23 withrespect to the handgrip portion 21. By positioning finger knob 53 incradle 57 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the end cam surface 52 of pawl pin48 extends into the ratchet wheel grooves 47 to permit positive drive ina counterclockwise direction looking at FIG. 4 but pawl pin 48 will beforced to retract against spring 51 by the action of cam surface 52 onthe sides of grooves 47 permitting relative rotation between handgripportion 21 and drive spindle 22 when the handgrip portion 21 is rotatedin a clockwise direction. This ratcheting action is reversed by placingfinger knob 53 in cradle 56 as shown in broken lines in FIG. 5. With thefinger knob 53 in the neutral cradle 55 as shown in FIG. 5 and thecup-shaped clutch part 23 in the position shown in FIG. 1, the handgripportion 21 and the spindle 22 run free of one another.

In FIG. 7 there is shown a modified form of ratchet wheel '65 in whichthe pawl engaging side of the wheel is formed with a series ofcircumferentially-spaced openings 61 which may be suitably drilledtherein, the sides of the openings cooperating in the same manner withpawl pin cam surface 52 as the sides of the grooves 47 of the ratchetwheel 45 cooperate therewith. This ratchet wheel 60 has a centralopening 62 for receiving the lower portion 25 of the spindle 22 and willbe fixed thereto by a set screw in the same manner that the wheel 45 isfixed by the set screw 46. Small holes 63 extend from the large openings61 to keep them free of dirt.

In FIGS. 8, 9, 10 and ll, there is illustrated the use of a modifiedratchet handle 65 constructed to embody the invention and taken with anextension piece 66 and angle drive coupling 67. The ratchet handle 65 iscoupled to the intermediate extension piece 66 and angle drive coupling67 and to which in turn is coupled any interchangeable rotaryitool partsuch as a socket wrench, screw driver, reamer and other similarlyoperated attachments.

Within the ratchet handle 65 is a drive spindle 68 secured for rotationtherein'but against axial displacement by a set screw 69 entering agroove 70* in the lower end of the spindle. A cup-shaped clutch part 71encloses a ratchet mechanism like that disposed in the ratchet handle20. A pawl pin 72 is vertically slida'ble in the handle 65 and operableby a finger actuation knob 73 to control the ratcheting operation in thesame manner as described above with reference to the pawl pin 48 andknob 53.

To improve the versatility of handle 65, a built-in retraotible torsiongrip lever 74 is provided in an elongated lower section 75 of the handle65, the lever 74 being an ranged to pivot outwardly to alaterally-extended position at right angles to handle extension 75,shown in FIG. 8, from a retracted position in an elongated seatingcavity 76 arranged to extend longitudinally of handle extension 75. Forconnecting the torque lever 74 to the handle extension 75 for pivotalmovement, a short link 77 is mounted on a pivot pin 78 at one endthereof and located in a diametrically-extending slot 79' extendinglaterally from a widened lower end of the lever seating cavity 76. Theopposite end of the short link 77 extends into a slot 80 formed in anenlarged end 81 of the lever 74 and is connected thereto by a pivot pin82. The double pin pivoting action of the short link 77 permits thetorque lever 74 to swing from its retracted position in the cavity 76shown in broken lines in FIG. 8 to its operative right angle extendedposition shown in full lines in FIG. 8.

Releasable retention of the torque lever 74 in the cavity 76 is providedby a ball detent 83 located in the upper end wall of the cavity 76 toengage notch 84 in the free end of the torque lever 74. Suitableclearance for finger gripping lever 74 for removal from its retractedposition is accomplished by an annular groove 85 about the handle 65 andcutting across a midportion of the cavity 76. The annular groove 85facilitates the handgripping of the handle 65 and enhances thedecorative appearance of the handle 65. Also, surfacelongitudinally-extending parallel grooves 86 in the handle extension 75facilitate the gripping of the handle and enhance the appearancethereof.

A further feature of the invention lies in the manner by which theconnections of the releasable coupling components are designed toprevent accidental separation and eliminate any buckling at the couplingupon exertion of pressure both axial and rotary. As clearly seen in FIG.8, a'm'ale coupling extension 87 of square section of the spindle 66 hasa ball detent 88 that releasably engages an opening 89 in a femalecoupling portion 90 of the extension piece 66, which is square shapedand sized to tdrivingly receive the coupling portion 87. The diameterbetween the diagonal corners of the square extension 87 is the same asthe diameter of the round portion of the spindle 68 therebelow. A skirtportion 91 extends downwardly beyond the square female coupling portion87 to tightly surround the adjacent round portion of the spindle 68 intelescoping fashion and provide a rigid coupling connection therewith,the internal diameter of the skirt opening being substantially that ofthe round portion.

The angle coupling 67 may be of the type described and claimed in theUnited States Patent No. 2,589,822 of the present inventor, but is hereshown as my improved coupling more fully described in my co-pendingapplication Serial No. 73,114, filed December 1, 1960, relating to handrotary tools and angle connections therefor.

The upper end of the extension piece 66 has a male coupling extension92. of square section and a ball detent 93 engageable with a smallopening 94 in a 'female coupling portion 95 of the angle drive coupling67. The angle drive coupling 67 has extending at right angles to thefemale drive coupling portion 95 a male coupling portion 96 having aball detent 97. To this male coupling portion 96, another extensionpiece, socket wrench, screw driver, reamer or like work part can becoupled.

By selectively setting the cup-shaped clutch part 71 to its extendedposition and the finger knob 73 of pawl pin 72 for connection with aninternal ratchet wheel, the ratchet handle 65 will operate in the samemanner as hereinbefore described for ratchet handle 20 and will serve todeliver rotary motion to the male coupling portion 96 of the angle drivecoupling 67 having an axis of rotation at right angles to that of handle65 and at a remote distance therefrom.

When torque is required to etfect the drive, the ratchet handle is morereadily manipulated by grasping the extended torsion grip lever 74 inthe fist, the same having previously been swung into its extendedposition by gripping a midportion thereof in the region of annulargroove 85 by thumb and finger and releasing the same from the cavity 76against the action of ball detent 83.

It should now be apparent that there has been provided a four-wayratchet handle tool which can be driven directly or through ratchetmechanism, in assembly with extension and angle drive pieces and in sodoing meets the conditions of practical use.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shallbe understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope ofthe present invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A hand operated rotary tool comprising a handle part, a spindlej-ournalled in said handle part, a ratchet pawl selectively angularlyadjustable in said handle part and extending slidably from one endthereof, a ratchet wheel fixed to the spindle and having ratchet teethon the underside thereof engageable with the ratchet pawl, a cup-shapedclutch pant drivingly connected to the spindle and axially displaceablebetween extended and retracted positions, drive pins projecting axiallyforward from the handle part, the clutch part having openings forreceiving the drive pins of the handle part to lock the 5 handle and thecup-shaped clutch parts together with the cup-shaped clutch part in itsretracted position, whereby direct drive as well as ratchet drive may beselectively effected between the handle and spindle parts.

2. A hand operated rotary tool as defined in claim 1, and detent meanson the clutch part and engageable with the spindle to retain the clutchpart in either its extended or retracted positions, set collar means forretaining the clutch part against axial displacement from the spindleand limiting the outward movement of the clutch part to the extendedposition.

3. A hand operated rotary tool as defined in claim 1, and said handlepart having a cutaway opening intermediate its length, said pawlextending axially through the cut away opening and having alaterally-extending finger knob for turning the pawl and said handlepart having cradle formations in the cut-away opening for receiving thefinger knob and holding the pawl in selected right, left or neutralpositions, biasing means in the handle part and acting against the pawlto retain it against a selected one of the cradle formations.

4. A hand operated rotary tool as defined in claim 1, and said spindlehaving a coupling extension of square section and a rounded surfaceportion adjacent thereto, the diameter of the square coupling portiondiagonally between its corners being the same as the diameter of theadjacent rounded surface portion, whereby a skirted coupling partreceiving the squared coupling extension of substantially the samedimensions will be tight fitted when telescoped over the rounded surfaceportion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS873,363 Foss Dec. 10, 1907 984,333 Wicker Feb. 14, 1911 1,004,496 SusterSept. 26, 1911 1,512,176 Johnson Oct. 21, 1924 2,292,228 Krieger Aug. 4,1942 2,679,272 Giannone May 25, 1954 2,701,490 Griparis Feb. 8, 19552,734,413 Dunkelberger Feb. 14, 1956 2,778,396 Swain Jan. 22, 1957FOREIGN PATENTS 205,819 Great Britain Ian. 1, 1925

1. A HAND OPERAED ROTARY TOOL COMPRISING A HANDLE PART, A SPINDLEJOURNALLED IN SAID HANDLE PART, A RATCHET PAWL SELECTIVELY ANGULARLYADJUSTABLE IN SAID HANDLE PART AND EXTENDING SLIDABLY FROM ONE ENDTHEREOF, A RATCHET WHEEL FIXED TOI THE SPINDLE AND HAVING RATCHET TEETHON THE UNDERSIDE THEREOF ENGAGEABLE WITH THE RATCHET PAWL, A CUP-SHAPEDCLUTCH PART DRIVINGLY CONNECTED TO THE SPINDLE AND AXIALLY DISPLACEABLEBETWEEN EXTENDED AND